Car-coupling



- manner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SMITH LEE SANGSTER AND JAMES SANGSTER, OF BURKES STATION,

7 VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SMITH LEE SANGSTER and .TAMEs SANGSTER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Burkes Station, in the county of Fairfaxand State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to car-couplers, and the purpose thereof is toprovide simple automatic devices whereby the link-bar may be securelylocked at either end in the draw-head, and'may be instantaneouslyreleased by a person standing upon either side or upon the top of thecar, whereby all necessity for entering between the cars either forcoupling or uncoupling shall be completely avoided. It is our purpose,also, to provide a simple and novel construction and combination ofparts whereby the link-bar may be used either for an automaticcoupling-action or in conj unction with the ordinary coupling-pinwithout any material change in the construction and arrangement of theparts constituting the coupling.

To enable others to practice our said invention, we will proceed todescribe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end of a carhaving our invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is ahorizontallongitudinal section of a draw-head containing our invention.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective showing the camshafts by which thelocking-blocks are released. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of thelink-bar or coupling-bar. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of thelink-bar, showing a modifled construction to allow a coupling with theold link-coupler heretofore in use.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 denotes the end portion ofa railway-car of any ordinary construction, and the numeral 2 designatesthe draw-head, which,in our in-.

vention, is mounted upon and projects cen trallyfrom the end of the carin the usual This draw-head consists of a block of metal, ofsubstantially rectangular form, and provided with a longitudinal recessor opening 3 to receive the link-bar, the mouth Serial No. 3455,414- (Nomodel.)

suitable metal, their vertical faces diverging one from the other,whereby as the outer face is brought flush with the exterior surface ofthe draw-head the inner face will project increasingly within thechannel or opening 3. At the ends adjacent to the mouth of the draw-headthese blocks are pivoted upon pins 6, so that they may swing freely inthe openings at, and upon any suitable supportare mounted springs 7,which bear upon the exterior faces of the blocks at or near theirrearward ends. In these ends are formed vertical recesses 8, withinwhich lie cams 9, mounted or formed upon vertical pins 10, which turnfreely in apertures formed in the draw-head, their ends rising above thetop of said draw head and being provided with forked inwardly-projectingarms 12. Between the forked end of each of these arms is pivotallyattached the end of a link 13, its other extremity being connected withthe end 14: of a vertically-arranged lever 15, which is fulcrumedbetween lugs 16, the end of said lever extending up as high as the topor roof of the car, or substantially so.

The swing of the blocks 5 is limited in both directions by the ends ofthe fork formed by the openings 4, which abut against the pins 10,carrying the cams 9. By this construction the blocks are normally heldwith their outer faces substantially flush with the outer faces of thedraw-head, while the rear ends of said blocks project within the channel3.

The numeral 17 denotes the link-bar, which consists of a bar of ironhaving a vertical width in excess of its horizontal thickness. Upon theends of said link-bar are formed heads 18, having a thickness aboutdouble 5 aid it in entering the draw-head. In each head is formed anaperture 20, with which an ordinary coupling-pin may engage, said pinlying in an opening Bl in the draw-head.

In order to operate the coupling to disconnect the link-bar when theoperator is standing upon the ground and at the same time to avoid thenecessity of entering between the cars, I mount upon the end of the car,behind the lever 15, a rock-shaft 22, having a crankarm or cam-yoke 23,and provided also with levers Eat, which are rigid with the ends of thel'ocksliaft. It will be seen that by revolving said shaft the end of thelever 15 will be thrown outward, turning the cam-pins 10 and swingingthe blocks 5 outward, thus releasing the link-bar.

Coupling is effected by simply entering either head of the link-barwithin the opening or recess 3, its entrance spreading the blocks 5until the head 18 has passed the ends of the blocks, which instantlysnap inward in front of the shoulders 19 on the head of the link-bar.

Vhat I claim is 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-headmounted on the ear, of blocks ar 'anged in channels in the side walls ofthe draw-head and pivoted at their outer ends, said blocks having facesdiverging from each other from their pivotal points toward the car,springs by which said blocks are thrown inward and their inner facescaused to enter the linkbar channel of the drawhcad, and vertical pinsor shafts lying in apertures in the draw-head and having cams whichspread the said blocks and release the link-bar, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a drawhead mounted on theear and having a longitudinal channel to receive the link-bar,

of blocks pivoted at their outer ends in longitudinal channels in thesides of the drawhead, said blocks having their inner faces entering thelink-bar channel at an angle to its axis, springs drawing or throwingsaid blocks inward, pins or shafts lying in apertures in the draw-headand having cams lying in re cesses formed in the ends of said blocks,links pivoted at one end to oppositely-projecting arms on the cam pinsor shafts and pivoted at their other ends upon the extremity of avertical lever fulerumed upon a horizontal bearing on the end of thecar, the power end of said lever rising substantially to or nearly tothe top of the car, substantially as described.

In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having a channelfor the link-bar, of blocks pivoted at their outer ends in horizontalrecesses in the side walls of the drawhead, said blocks having shouldersat their free ends engaging shoulders on the head of the link-bar,vertical cam pins or shafts lying in apertures in the draw-head andhaving cams lying in recesses in the ends of the blocks, links pivotallyconnected at one end to oppositely-extending arms 011 the cam pins orshafts and connected at their other ends to the end of a vertical leverfulcrumed on the end of the car, and a rock-shaft mounted behind saidlever and having a crank or cam adapted to act thereon and provided alsowith levers at each end accessible from the sides of the car,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

SMITH LEE SANGSTER. JAMES SANGSTER. \Vitnesscs:

Q. MoK. BELL, WM. '1. SMITH.

